Youth
by Awesome11
Summary: Xanxus, at age fifteen, gets a home tutor named Mammon and begins his journey to collect his guardians (without even realizing it) goes from narrative to drabbley


**I realize that it's not the best, but I've had this sitting in my drafts for about two years and I decided I finally wanted to publish it, but as a one shot instead. So this is how I decided to do that.**

 **oOo**

"I'll be there as soon as possible, Xanxus." The deep and slightly withered voice on the end of the phone said, compassion brimming each word.

"I'll see you in less than a week…. Dad." A fifteen year old boy put the phone back on the receiver, a small sigh escaping his mouth as a pile of half finished homework sat on the counter next to him. The old man was coming down for his bi-monthly visit to check in on him, and he needed to clean up his mess of a place first.

Xanxus shot a distasteful glance at the pile of dirty dishes before running a hand through his dark hair. This was going to be a hassle, but at least he had a little while to work on it all. His dad was paying for his apartment after all, and if he suddenly cut off his allowance and stopped giving him money for the bills, Xanxus would be in trouble.

No last name, just Xanxus, though when he was younger he used to write down on his papers Xanxus Vongola. He was the Nono's son, so when he was older he would be the tenth ruler of the Vongola familglia, but he had eventually grown out of the phase.

He frowned at an unfamiliar envelope that sat next to his stack of homework, some of which were due weeks ago. His eyes briefly scanned over the flyer. Something about a home tutor. What, he didn't need a tutor. Sure, his grades were tanking, but that wasn't cause he was stupid.

The flier went into the trash.

oOo

At 8:35 Xanxus was still in his bed, a bowl of half finished ramen sitting on his desk, he was wearing pajama bottoms, his bare chest exposed as one hand rested on his abs. Heavy snoring filled the room, though no one was around to hear. A loud knocking broke the heavy silence.

Xanxus' eyes shot open, revealing bloodshot brown orbs. Instantly he was one his feet.

"Who is disturbing my peace!" He muttered to himself, walking to his front door. "I swear, I don't care who it is! Man, women, or…" He opened the door. "…baby?" His eyes landed on the small cloaked figure sitting on his 'GO AWAY!' door mat."

"Do you have money?" It asked in a surprisingly androgynous voice.

"Yes, but not for you." Xanxus replied, crouching down so that he didn't have to strain his neck. "What's a piece of trash like you doing here? Your parents lose track of you?" The kid must have been new to the building since Xanxus had (unfortunately) met pretty much everyone living on his side of the building complex.

"I'm getting paid lots of bucks to tutor you." The child said monotonously.

"Tch, I don't need a home tutor, you can run off to your mommy and daddy, brat." Faster than Xanxus could follow the child raised it's hand and his arms sharply twisted behind his back at an unnatural angle. "Owowowowowowow!" HE exclaimed, tears rushing to his eyes as he attempted to wrench his hand out of whatever had it. He twisted his head back to catch a glimpse of… were those snakes?

"Hold frick! What the heck?!"

"I told you, I'm getting paid. You are not going to stand between me and money. Ever. That's lesson number one." The snakes disappeared into a cloud of mist which quickly disappeared. The baby jumped onto his head and then into his apartment without another word.

"Hey, wait a minute, what are you supposed to teach me? You're a baby!" He cried indignantly as the baby sat on the counter prying open a tub of leftover onigiri's.

"How about how to become the Tenth Boss of the Vongola." He stopped his in his tracks, his mind stopping in place and running a thousand miles per hour, blood running ice cold and heart burning red hot.

"What?" He asked, unusually quiet.

"Secret. I get paid by the hour, I'm not gonna spill out all the secrets of the Vongola just yet." The baby said in between bites.

"Hn, whatever, I can become the Tenth without your help anyway." Xanxus grunted before opening the refrigerator and seeing what looked good.

"Even without… nevermind." A vein bulged on Xanxus' forehead.

"What is it?!"

"Hm, I might have forgotten." The baby stroked a toad semi-thoughtfully. "Maybe if I stick around and earn more money by pretending to help you I'll remember." Xanxus stared at the baby for a second.

"What was your name?" The baby seemed to pause for a second.

"Mammon." Mammon, the name of the devil of covetousness?

"Don't eat all the food, otherwise I'll kill you, brat." The baby mumbled back something that sounded surprisingly like 'I'd like to see you try.'

oOo

"Xanxus, late again I see." The PE teacher noted as Xanxus lazily walked onto the field. Xanxus only grunted as a response, walking towards the soccer team he was supposed to be on. As if by fate, the ball came right to him, and he lazily rested one of his feet on it.

His eyes quickly took in the horde of players rushing towards him. He effortlessly kicked the ball up and began to kick it down the field. He darted and weaved in between the other players, moving with a speed that was drilled into him for as long as he could remember. Please, soccer being a team sport? He could handle all these pieces of trash on his own if he needed to.

He kicked the ball into the air and followed it with his body, harshly kicking it in the direction of the goal. Hmph, too easy-

"Voi!" A cry was heard as the ball was kicked to the other side of the field with extraordinary strength. "This team isn't losing to anyone today!" While the rest of the team chased after the ball, Xanxus stood still, the piece of garbage staring back at him.

"I don't recognize you, trash." He grunted.

"I'm new today." The other kid replied, glaring daggers at Xanxus, and he was almost impressed. "Superbi Squallo, master swordsman. And don't you go forget it." He sneered, one hand combing through his short hair.

"Trash is trash." Xanxus replied, and turned to check where the ball was.

oOo

"What did you do to my house, brat?!" All of the walls were pure black with violet designs covering them. Mammon was on the counter, a paint bucket and a brush lying next to it slowly dripping all over the counter. The baby was currently counting dollar bills.

"You owe me fifty bucks for repainting your walls."

"Fifty?!" Xanxus shouted in outrage, one of his hands accidentally pressing against the paint, leaving a print as he quickly retracted it, looking at his hand in dismay.

"I rounded up." Xanxus had been trying to figure out what exactly the babies gender was, but it was impossible to tell. (A/N while I personally subscribe to the idea that Viper is a girl, I don't want to declare anything for certain yet. What gender do you guys think Viper is?)

"How on earth did you reach all the way to the ceiling?" He asked, taking a moment to almost admire the work.

"Time is money. I don't have time to tell idiots like you my trade secrets." A vein bulged in Xanxus' forehead.

"Why you little…" Rage burned in his soul.

"And your fridge is empty." The baby added uncaringly. Xanxus smashed his hand onto the counter next to Mammon, his other one, still slightly wet with painting, reaching out to grab it.

"I don't think so." Mammon responded. When Xanxus looked at his hand the skin was peeling off, revealing bugs crawling around his flesh covered bones, eating away at it.

"Ah!" He screamed, gripping his hand. "What the frick did you do to my hand you piece of trash?!"

"Go get more food. And go to the bank to get money so you can pay me."

"N-no way, brat." Xanxus bit back, blood streaming down his hand.

"I said…" the baby's small mouth twisted into a grimace. "Get." The condition spread to his elbow. "Food." The bugs ate until his bones were completely clean. "And." Cracks appeared on his pale and dry appendage. "Money." Xanxus screamed as his hand and arm turned to dust, excruciating pain overtaking him.

"FINE!" the word tore out of his mouth.

"Good." Mammon said happily, continuing to count bills, and When Xanxus looked back at his hand, it was in the same perfect, albeit calloused, form as per usual.

"How is the freaking world…" Xanxus slowly held it up to the light, making sure that it really was okay.

"If you like it like that I would suggest keeping your word." Mammon said distractedly.

"Fine." Xanxus bit out, turning back around even though he had just arrived back at his house.

oOo

"Stupid baby." Xanxus grumbled to himself, weighed down by his hands full of grocery bags. A Sudden wind ruffled his spiky hair and caused his to raise his hand to protect his eyes. By the time he opened them the handles on the plastic bags were all cut off and his food was splayed out all over the ground.

"Frick. What the frick?!" He shouted.

"You do not deserve such luxuries." His eyes narrowed as he realized that it was the kid with the short white hair from soccer that day. Naturally after the boy had trash talked him he had beaten the other team to a pulp, yet here he was, standing right in front of him, a sword of all things in his hand. Two boys who have firm visions of their future stand before each other in the middle of the street.

We'll pause the story here, as here is as good of a place as any to pause. You see, in a few moments Xanxus will have beaten the other student, who you have undoubtedly deduced is Squallo, to a pulp, and Squallo will realize that the reason he was so drawn to Xanxus is because Xanxus is his sky. He also starts to grow his hair out. With Squallo and Mammon by his side Xanxus, over the next few months, will collect different misfits from all over, each with their own unique flames – without him really noticing they will smooth some of his edges, fix some of his cracks, and it will only be when he's thrown his head back to give a hearty laugh after seeing they squabbling over what flavor of pocky to get that he will realize how much they mean to him and how much they have changed him.

And then he will discover that he can never be the Decimo and his dreams will burst into flames around him, falling to the ground. It will break him farther than even his friends can reach – he will almost kill his father figure in his fury, and it will take the current Varia at the time led by Sawada Tsunayoshi to contain his fury, freezing him deeply in ice. (The Varia retires their duties and Sawada Tsunayoshi becomes the Decimo when the aftermath has cleared – Xanxus' friends are never told what happened to him).

Two years later Xanxus is released from the ice, falls gasping and in pain onto the ground, he had been in constant pain for two years, and scars burn into his skin. He is shivering and cold, and then Lussaria drapes a thick coat over his shoulders and he realizes that he is not alone – his friends are guardians have freed him. Nono and Tsuna of course watched the entire exchange happen and decide to let Xanxus go – surely with the friends he had surrounded himself with he would turn out alright after all.

They gather together on hard nights when Xanxus' scars burn anew with pain and refuse to leave him even when his flames lash out from him pain, even when he accidentally hits them and hurts them. The help him with his recovery, and a year later, when Xanxus can walk on his own again, they are left to decide what they should do now.

Xanxus will become the leader of the Varia, surrounded by those that care about him.

oOo

 **Thank you for reading! Please - tell me what you thought about it down in the comments (also talk to me about my khr gem au on my tumblr the-east-hunter or check out my art on the-east-art)**

 **thank you so much and have a great day!**


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